Claude vs Microsoft Copilot
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Claude
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis and coding
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft's AI assistant for chat, images and Microsoft 365 apps
Where they differ
- Claude starts at $17 per month with an annual subscription ($200 billed up front). Microsoft Copilot starts at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Personal).
- Only Claude lists a Linux app.
- Only Claude lists a browser extension.
- Microsoft Copilot also covers AI agents and research.
At a glance
| Claude | Microsoft Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $17 per month with an annual subscription ($200 billed up front) | $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Personal) |
| Free plan | Chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation and code execution, memory, app connectors and Artifacts. Usage resets on a rolling five-hour window and is lower than on paid plans. | A limited free version of Copilot, subject to available capacity and usage limits. Signing in adds chat history, more image creation, longer conversations and longer voice use. |
| Free trial | None listed | One-month free trial of Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium; terms vary by offer and region. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Anthropic | Microsoft |
| Price read from | claude.com | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Claude
- Writing, analysis and coding help in one assistant
- Developers who want a coding agent included in their subscription
- Teams of 2 to 150 that need SSO and central billing
Microsoft Copilot
- People who already work in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Windows 11 users: the Copilot app comes installed on new PCs
- Households that want Office apps and cloud storage in the same plan
Worth knowing
Claude
- Usage is capped in rolling five-hour sessions on every plan, and paid plans add weekly limits.
- Projects, Research, Claude Code and the Chrome and Microsoft 365 extensions are not in the Free plan.
- Enterprise bills usage at API rates on top of the seat price, and the Max 20x tier has no price on the pricing page.
- Payments are generally non-refundable, listed prices exclude tax, and the Linux desktop app is in beta.
Microsoft Copilot
- The free version is subject to available capacity and limits, and the pricing page does not give the numbers.
- Researcher and Analyst are not available on Microsoft 365 Personal or Family; they need Premium at $19.99 a month or Pro.
- On Microsoft 365 Family, AI features are available only to the subscription owner and cannot be shared with other members.
- According to Wikipedia, Microsoft said in August 2026 it would merge the consumer and Microsoft 365 Copilot apps and remove Mico, Deep Research and group chats.
Key features
Claude
- Chat for writing, analysis and code
- Write and edit content, generate code and visualize data in a conversation on the web, in desktop apps or on mobile.
- Files, code execution and Artifacts
- Claude can create files, run code and present generated content as Artifacts. All three are part of the Free plan.
- Web search and Research
- Web search is available on every plan. Research, for longer investigations, is listed with the paid plans.
- Memory and Projects
- Memory carries context across conversations on every plan. Projects, which organize chats and documents, start with Pro.
- Connectors
- Connect apps and tools such as Slack and Google Workspace, or add other context and tools through remote MCP connectors.
- Claude Code
- A coding agent for the terminal, VS Code and JetBrains. It is included in all paid plans and draws on the same usage pool as chat.
Microsoft Copilot
- Chat with web-grounded answers
- Helps with writing, brainstorming and summarizing in a chat, and gives real-time answers based on web search.
- Voice and Vision
- Spoken conversations, plus visual help from your screen or camera. Usage is standard on Personal and Family, higher on Premium and highest on Pro.
- Image generation
- Creates images inside Copilot. The allowance rises from standard usage on Personal and Family to extensive use on Premium and Pro.
- Researcher and Analyst
- Researcher finds and synthesizes information, and Analyst works through raw data. Both are unavailable on Personal and Family and included with Premium and Pro.
- Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps
- Paid plans add Copilot to the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps to draft, edit and summarize documents and email.
- Cowork and model choice
- Cowork takes on a multi-step project and returns finished files, and you can switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models. Microsoft notes some capabilities need specific licenses.
Plans
Claude
Free$0
Chat on web, desktop and mobile, with web search, file creation, code execution, memory, connectors and Artifacts.
Pro$17
per month, billed annually ($200 up front)
More usage, Projects, Research, Claude Code, task scheduling, more models and Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365. $20 if billed monthly.
Team$20
per seat / month, billed annually
For teams of 2 to 150, with SSO and central billing. $25 if billed monthly. Premium seats with 5x more usage are $100, or $125 monthly.
Enterprise$20
per seat / month, billed annually, plus usage at API rates
Team features plus spend limits, role-based access, SCIM, audit logs, a compliance API and custom data retention.
MaxFrom $100
per month
Everything in Pro with a choice of 5x or 20x more usage, higher output limits, early access to features and priority at busy times.
Microsoft Copilot
Free$0
Chat, web-grounded answers, image creation and voice, subject to available capacity and usage limits.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
For 1 person: higher Copilot usage than free, Copilot in the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps, and 1 TB of cloud storage.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, with 1 TB of storage each. Copilot AI features are for the subscription owner only.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year
Extensive Copilot usage, the Researcher and Analyst agents, and limited usage of agentic AI.
Microsoft 365 Pro$99.99
per month, monthly billing only
Everything in Premium with the highest usage limits for chat, agentic AI, voice and vision.
Ways to pay less
Claude
- Annual discount
Lower price with annual billing
Pro is $17 per month on an annual subscription ($200 billed up front) instead of $20 billed monthly. Team seats are $20 instead of $25, and premium seats $100 instead of $125.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit Team pricing from $3 per user
Registered 501(c)(3) organizations, their international equivalents and K-12 schools can get the Team plan for $8 per user / month, or $3 in low- or middle-income countries.
- Education
University-wide Education plan
Anthropic offers institutions a university-wide plan covering students, faculty and staff at discounted rates, arranged through its Education team.
- Startups
Startup program with API credits
Venture-backed startups founded within the last four years can apply for free credits and priority rate limits. Credits apply to the Claude API, not to chat subscriptions.
Microsoft Copilot
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% with yearly billing
Microsoft's pricing page lists Personal at $99.99, Family at $129.99 and Premium at $199.99 per year, a saving of up to 17% against paying monthly. Pro is monthly only.
- Education
Student offers on Microsoft 365
Microsoft says eligible college students may qualify for discounted Microsoft 365 subscriptions, and some get free access through their school. Offers vary by institution and region.
- Other savings
Microsoft Workplace Discount Program
Microsoft offers savings on select Microsoft 365 subscriptions through eligible employers, using a valid work email address.
